SPONSORED BY DELL-SETON MEDICAL CENTER
D. CHAVARRIA, E. CYNOR, J. MARAS, R. MITBANDER, L. SCHERGER
Clinical Advisor: Dr. J. Aydelotte
DEFINING THE PROBLEM:
NEED IDENTIFICATION:
A method to indicate foley catheter dwell time in hospitalized patients to reduce the number of CAUTI
CONCEPT GENERATION:
LED Blinker Circuit
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS:
How will the device alert the nurse/caregiver in a way that is hard to overlook?
* Test LED visibility at a distance of 30 ft in a dark and lit room at four different positions by rotating the device (front, left side, back, right side)
How will the device be attached to the foley bag in a cost effective manner?
* We have come up with a variety of ways (tape, clip) to easily attach the device to the foley catheter bag
* Test maximum volume before failure and analyze the cost of the attachment method
How will the device be activated and minimize time added on to current routine?
* We have come up with either activating the device via a pull tab (similar to a watch where the tab gets pulled and the circuit therefore closes to start the device) or via a switch (flipping the switch activates the device)
PCB DESIGN & USER INTERFACE
As the hardware engineer for the team, I created the PCB which powered the device. This entailed mapping out the circuitry, and creating a schematic with routing using Autodesk Eagle. I was also tasked with creating the diagrams and schematics for the project, and facilitating outreach with our clinical advisor.
